Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari stirred considerable excitement within Formula 1 when he confirmed his choice in early 2024. And while the former Mercedes driver struggled on his debut with the Italian team, finishing 10th in Australia, Hamilton continued to stir the pot with another tease. He revealed his ambition to begin work on a Ferrari road car: the F44.
Named after his racing number, 44, and as a nod to the legendary F40 supercar, this idea from Hamilton has plenty of interest from the roaring crowd he revealed his idea to.
“One of the things I really want to do is I want to design a Ferrari. I want to do an F44,” he confirmed.
Earlier this year the driver posed outside of Enzo Ferrari’s house, stood next to the legendary F40, a car he clearly appreciates highly.
“Baseline of an F40, with the actual stick shift. That’s what I’m gonna work on for the next few years.”
The F40 occupies a place of legend in automotive history. It was the last car personally approved by the late Enzo Ferrari before he died in 1988, with it being launched on the brand’s 40th anniversary to replace the Ferrari 288. It was the driver’s supercar, a supercar that promoted the organic and visceral relationship between man and machine, and this is what Hamilton wants to create once again with his so-called F44.
What made the F40 so incredible was its use of F1 technology. It was built using kevlar panels draped over a tubular steel spaceframe chassis. Its doors, bonnet, and boot-lid were crafted from carbon fibre – revolutionary technology siphoned from the sport. Because of this, weight was as low as it could get, sitting at 1,100kg.
The beating heart of the car was a 2.9-litre V8 engine boasting 471 horses, enabling 60mph to come and go in just 3.8 seconds and, with the go pedal held to the floor, a top speed of over 200mph.With no traction control, ABS, or other driver aids, this was as exposed as it got for a driver.
Unprecedented demand for the car led to a long production run with 1,311 units being built in total.
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari SF-25
Photo by: Ferrari
A template was created
The F40 created a template that was used by the marque for its subsequent halo models like the twin-turbo F50. The F80 is Ferrari’s latest offering, celebrating its 80th anniversary. It creates a staggering 1,500 horsepower through a complex and intelligent hybrid system matched to a 3-litre V6 engine that drives all four wheels. Once again it leverages technology from the racing series Ferrari is involved in and, while it isn’t as bold as the F40, creates an almost unbeatable driving experience for the lucky person sat behind the wheel.
So what does an F44 look like? I could close my eyes and pour words onto the page imagining what a modern F40 could consist of, but I shan’t. All we know is Hamilton wants to reimagine the magic of an F40, and retain its manual gearbox. Gated, would be my vote. Of course, it would likely be a hybrid powertrain, or utilise a form of Energy Recovery System similar to that of the LaFerrari, but it’s clear that Hamilton would want a visceral experience.
Lightweight, agile, and a smaller footprint would be the name of the game. For this, we can only cross our fingers.
